The Miz

Michael “The Miz” Mizanin is an American professional wrestler, television personality, and actor. He works for WWE, and currently performs on the SmackDown brand. He first gained national attention on MTV’s The Real World in 2001 and was able to use his noteriety to shift into wrestling when WWE signed him as a developmental wrestler after the Tough Enough tryouts.

After training in Deep South Wrestling (DSW) and Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), he debuted on the main roster in 2006 where he began to build his persona centered on confidence, sharp interviews, and opportunistic ring strategy.

Early success came in the late 2000s when he formed a tag team with John Morrison. Together they held the WWE Tag Team and World Tag Team titles and hosted an online talk show, The Dirt Sheet, which showcased his comfort with promos and character work.

This set him up for a singles run in the 2010s where he would become one of WWE’s most decorated champions outside the main event.

He won the United States Championship in 2009, then won the Money in the Bank briefcase in 2010. On November 22, 2010, he cashed in on Randy Orton to win his first WWE Undisputed Championship, then headlined WrestleMania XXVII in April 2011 and retained the title against John Cena.

During this time, he also won the Intercontinental Championship eight times, the United States Championship again in 2010, and added more tag team reigns with partners like The Big Show, John Cena, Damien Mizdow, and Shane McMahon.

In 2011 he teamed with R-Truth as The Awesome Truth. The pair played conspiracy-minded antagonists, were “fired” on television, and infamously crashed Hell in a Cell before being rehired. They beat Triple H and CM Punk at Vengeance after outside interference, then headlined Survivor Series at Madison Square Garden, where The Rock and John Cena defeated them. The next night The Miz turned on R-Truth, ending the team and sending him back into singles programs.

This stretch also set the stage for his defining rivalry with Daniel Bryan. It began in 2010 on NXT, where Miz served as Bryan’s on screen mentor and mocked his independent pedigree. The feud reignited in 2016 after their tense Talking Smack confrontation, leading to Intercontinental title matches through the fall.

It picked up again in 2018 after Bryan’s in ring return, highlighted by Miz’s win at SummerSlam and a mixed tag sequel at Hell in a Cell. The story framed Miz as the crafty antagonist against Bryan’s principled competitor, and it showcased his promo work through Miz TV week after week.

He returned to the world title scene in late 2020 when he won the Money in the Bank briefcase again from Otis at Hell in a Cell. On February 21, 2021 at Elimination Chamber he cashed in on Drew McIntyre moments after Bobby Lashley’s attack and captured the WWE Undisputed Championship for a second time. The victory made him the first two-time Grand Slam Champion under WWE’s modern format.

WrestleMania 40 in April 2024 gave him another career highlight when he reunited with R Truth as “Awesome Truth” and won the Raw Tag Team Championship (Now called the World Tag Team Champiobnship) in a six team ladder match that split the belts across brands. The pair lost the titles in June after interference, then went their separate ways by the fall.

In early 2025 he moved to SmackDown and briefly teamed with Carmelo Hayes as “Melo Don’t Miz”. Tension over stolen pinfalls and missed opportunities ended the team in October 2025, and he returned to singles work on Friday nights as a needling veteran who picks his spots.

In the ring The Miz relies on ring IQ, timing, and opportunism more than power. His primary finisher is the Skull Crushing Finale. He also uses the Figure Four Leglock, which Ric Flair passed to him in 2013, and mixes in short DDTs, a corner clothesline, and well-timed counters. On the microphone he projects confidence and uses precise phrasing to needle opponents, often turning crowd reactions to his advantage.

Today he remains a fixture on SmackDown, mixing Miz TV with opportunistic matches and keeping himself in the title picture when openings appear.